I wanted to stay a few extra days in Phitsanulok to do some more exploring, but, unfortunately, my Thailand visa was set to expire on July 3, so I had to hightail it back to Bangkok to take care of some important errands before I headed over to Cambodia. At bus station number one, I was surprised to find only two or three windows selling tickets to Bangkok. Maybe station number two has more? Anyway, I bought my ticket and had about an hour to kill, so I ate lunch at a little hole in the wall eatery just across the street.

I awoke around 9:00 am this morning to the unexpected and loud sounds of fighter jets circling low around the city of Phitsanulok. I wonder what that was all about? For breakfast, I had small bowl of carrot soup and a tiny piece of toasted bread next door at a hipster cafe with really chic interior design. It even had a fancy fixed gear bicycle on display near the front window! After checking out of the Lithai Guesthouse, I took a tuk-tuk to Phitsanulok’s bus terminal number one to climb on board a rig bound for Dan Sai, a small town about two hours north. Luckily, it was due to depart in only 20 minutes, so I would arrive in Dan Sai in the early afternoon. Yay! Fortunately, no one sat next to me, so I could put my backpack in the open seat for maximum comfort instead of between my legs. The journey was very pleasant as we passed through numerous small towns and farmlands, and proceeded up into the woodsy mountains of the Loei province of Isaan, an area where few tourists go.